


Tumblr Prompts & Rambles

by their_dark_materials



Category: Emmerdale, Roblivion - Fandom, robron
Genre: Comedy, Doctor Who Feels, Doctor Who References, Fluff, Game Night, Horror, Humour, M/M, Pool & Billiards, brooklyn nine-nine crossover AU, rough writing, snooker au, the cabin in the woods au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-30
Updated: 2019-01-08
Packaged: 2019-09-02 06:17:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16781302
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/their_dark_materials/pseuds/their_dark_materials
Summary: A collection of general snippets, ficlets, and drabbles that I've written or posted on Tumblr.[CHAPTER 6: 13 Headcanons of Robert's Love forDoctor Who.]





	1. Sugden-Dingle Game Night

A Sugden-Dingle game night where Robert and Aaron invite their nearest and (sort of) dearest couple friends to what will quickly become an exercise in “How Bad of a Loser is Robert Jacob Sugden? (The Answer Will Shock None of You).”

* * *

Aaron tells Robert he can’t choose any of his “nerd” games, so that rules out _Dixit_ (technically too many people), _Betrayal at House on the Hill_ (which Aaron keeps calling “The Home Farm Game”), and _Settlers of Catan_ (Robert argues that this is quite mainstream now and even Liv likes it, but Aaron genuinely doesn’t get the point of all those sheep). He also has to keep it mostly PG-15 since Liv will be there because they include her in all family things now. So that rules out _Cards Against Humanity_ (Robert makes it all about Aaron’s dick anyway, he acts like he hates it, but his ears turn a happy pink), _Monikers_ (Robert doesn’t have time to go through all the cards and pick out the awkward ones and neither of them wants to explain to Cain Dingle what the hell a “power bottom” is) and _Telestrations: After Dark_ (neither of them wants to live through Faith drawing dicks).

So that leaves them with a few old standards ( _Taboo, Charades_ ) and a few newer ones ( _Resistance,_ _Codenames_ ). But all three of them agree on the selection and they’re quite looking forward to the night.

As expected, Chas, Paddy, Faith, and Eric are all early, with Faith making quite a few jokes about playing _Twister_ with Robert. She’d given them a copy for Christmas, but Robert “accidentally” ~~burned~~ misplaced it and he tells her so. Thankfully, Cain, Moira, Jimmy, and and Nicola’s arrival grants him the perfect escape — even if he does have to pretend to care about the latter’s Rodney-related babysitting woes. (Aaron sips his beer and refuses to come rescue him. Liv just laughs. Upstairs Seb sleeps soundly because he knows the drama that’s about to unfold and frankly, he does not care. He’s expecting another kidnapping any day now and he needs to reserve his strength.)

Almost immediately it’s decided that Robert and Aaron are not allowed to play on the same team and right away Robert makes a fuss, because what is the point of this night if he cannot play with his _husband_??? But everyone argues that they’ve seen their non-verbal communication skills (AKA the “Are You As Turned On As I Am” Look) and so why would they allow this to happen? Faith offers Robert a chance to pair up with him seeing as she too is a Dingle and he politely declines… while also secretly vowing revenge on everyone excerpt Aaron and Liv.

So in the end the teams end up being: Aaron, Chas, Eric, Moira, and Nicola, while Robert’s team is… everyone else (Faith, Paddy, Cain, and Jimmy, who is picked last because not even his wife wanted him on the same team and honestly, he wasn’t that surprised. He’s just here for the food and drink). Liv is score keeper, though there is a general understanding that she’ll help whichever team she feels like.

 _Taboo_ quickly becomes Team Aaron’s game to lose, because as it turns out, everyone on that team works together fabulously, using common references everyone gets and knows. Team Robert? Not so much. Paddy keeps saying the words he shouldn’t say while trying to give clues, Faith spends a lot of time trying to think of what words for _other_ things are, Cain passes a lot and then calls people morons when they don’t know what he means with his references, and Jimmy keeps spilling food on himself. (Robert would consider lending him one of Seb’s bibs but he is too stressed and frustrated right now.)

 _Charades_ goes a similar way. Chas and Moira are great at acting stuff out and Eric and Nicola are amazing guessers. Robert grows steadily more annoyed as he watches their success because he actually gets what Aaron is acting right away and they actually take a full ten seconds to do so. When it comes to their turns, Paddy and Faith’s actions are nowhere close to what they mean and Cain refuses to put down his beer bottle as he “acts,” which is mainly standing there and making a few random arm gestures. Jimmy keeps asking if he can ask Nicola for help and Robert slowly starts to contemplate murder while regretting even having this idea in the first place. (The only saving graces are the fact that Aaron gets every single one of his clues, and that Liv actually takes pity on them and starts helping. He resolves to buy her that new iPad he knows she’s been eyeing.)

Now _Codenames_ is where things start to get very, very interesting. Aaron’s team are a good, well-oiled machine, but with Eric playing as the “codemaster” who has to get everyone to guess which words in front of them belong to their team (instead of Robert’s), their more general frame of reference starts to falter a bit. And making matters more complicated is the fact that Robert’s trying a new approach: trying to think like his team members. So the one-worded clues he gives out in connection to the words on the table become personalised to each person (usually Cain) with each passing turn. Cain instantly knows that the words “rope,” “boot,” and “barn” are connected when Robert says “kidnapping, 3” and Jimmy quickly clues in that “bonds” and “truck” are the words for “Tate, 2.” Paddy even figures out that “science, 3” means “dinosaur,” “binoculars,” and “rocks”! Unfortunately, just as it seems like they’re going to win, their hot streak quickly falls apart because Faith totally taps the assassin card that signals a game over. She’d been convinced that Robert’s clue of “Wedding” meant “bedroom” even though he’d meant “slow-cooker” because Cain had swung by the Mill after he’d returned from his business trip, apologising to _both_ of them for missing the wedding and bringing with him a wedding present. (Robert had actually been thrilled because he’d been playing with the idea of ordering them one so he could make all-day roasts, but he’d played it cool and thanked him.)

The last game of the night is _Resistance_ and Robert is grateful to be free from the shackles of his underperforming teammates as everyone is forced to play individually as the game requires everyone to pretend they are members of a resistance trying to overthrow a government, only there are _four_ spies amongst them and it’s their job to figure out who, lest they fail the “missions” the players are meant to be going out on, each of which could signal a failure of the resistance.

Robert isn’t surprised to discover he is dealt a spy role card, he’d almost been expecting it at this point, his face having growing darker and darker as the night has progressed; a direct counterpoint to Aaron’s gleeful, almost _gloating_ countenance. But he is tremendously grateful to discover during the discovery phase that his spy co-conspirators are Eric, Jimmy, and _Liv_.

The game progresses and it’s easy to get people to immediately suspect Cain and Paddy. Robert figures that Aaron suspects him, but he’s probably giving him a break by going along with it.

A few rounds later and Robert and Eric are also fingered as spies, but both of them deflect it quite skilfully. (The latter, it feels, a little more so, because Robert’s convinced Aaron knows and is going along with it.) In any case, thanks to Liv’s impressive poker face and Cain’s immediate presumed guilt, they manage to fail two of the five “missions,” leading to the final one, where the winner will be decided. Robert tries not to grin, because somehow Jimmy managed to get picked for it by Aaron (which pretty confirms how well he knows his husband and his sister) along with Faith and Moira.

But they go through each card revealing that the mission was a success, Robert’s heart begins to sink. None of them is the “FAIL” he was expecting. He practically erupts when it’s revealed that the Resistance wins after all. How, _how_ on Earth could this happen? That’s when Jimmy reveals that he’d forgotten he was a spy. He hadn’t been passing the missions he’d gone on as part of some shrewd strategy because he’d actually spent most of that spy reveal phase thinking about whether Robert and Aaron would pack him some leftovers if he’d asked, and if Nicola would allow him to bring it home with them. He’d barely registered Liv, Eric, or Robert’s silent glances. He’d just wanted more dipping sauce for the homemade potstickers.

After that, Game Night is officially over. Robert storms upstairs while Aaron goes after him, leaving poor Liv to be the one thanking everyone for coming. Jimmy looks at the snacks, but Nicola shakes her head. Moira lets Cain snag an extra beer for both of them. Eric and Faith both bid everyone a goodnight and thank Liv for the lovely time before leaving promptly. Chas and Paddy help with some of the clean up, but they eventually clear out as well.

Meanwhile, upstairs, Robert sits on the bed arms crossed and frowning. No part of this night can be classed as fun — even though they played a lot of his favourite board games! Aaron flops down on the bed beside him, and tells him it’s not his fault he lost, and when that doesn’t work, he tells him it was actually sexy to see him do so.

 _That_ gets Robert and he rolls his eyes. Because what part of any of that was attractive?

Aaron tells him it was because he didn’t look smug.

“But I thought you liked my confidence.”

Aaron tells him he does, but he likes other parts too. And then he comes in for a kiss.

Robert knows a ploy when he sees one, but he lets Aaron make it up to him. Because he can tell that his husband wishes that they’d played together too, and that his enjoyment of Robert’s growing sullenness helped make up for that.

Later that night, as he’s falling asleep, Robert mentally concedes that maybe, _maybe_ , Game Night could be classified as a success. But only because the results were so deeply satisfying. Maybe they should do this again sometime. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. A lot of the stuff in this series is just going to be my rough, off-the-cuff writing that I produced or will produce on Tumblr in the future. Part of it is an exercise in just embracing any and all imperfections in my writing and being proud of it, part of it is just cataloguing all the words I produce tbh. I hope you like it. 
> 
> Let me know if you have any thoughts, comments, questions or concerns over on Tumblr under rustandruin. 
> 
> Thanks!


	2. The Village in the Dales

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Cabin in the Woods AU ficlet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For Omarandjohnny for his birthday.

He surveys the screens in front of him. Everything’s going according to plan. The five teens they’ve specially handpicked for this year’s sacrifice have arrived are now staying at the village, and all the undercover employees of the facility have cleared out for the night.

He knows it’s risky and that they might decide to head out to the pub after all, but Eric made sure he stocked the bed and breakfast bar with as much alcohol as possible (all placed conspicuously so as to catch the eye), and both actors were instructed to be as loud and obvious in their goodnights as possible. He’s leaving nothing to chance.

As predicted, Pete and Priya are shacked up in one bedroom, Pete having snuck in not long after Diane was told to bid her goodnight. The one perk of focusing on teenagers is that teenage pheromones do all the work for you, meaning they hadn’t needed their synthetic ones to force anything.

On another screen, Tracy and Finn are sitting and chatting on the bed. They’ve found the stashed packets of crisps and are making their way through them.

Eric frowns. This isn’t quite what he’d intended. But that’s fine. He has the rest of the night to course correct accordingly. And besides, he’s always loved a challenge.

Speaking of challenges, he looks over at Aaron Dingle’s screen. The young man is sat on the bed, shoes over covers, trying to get his phone to work. (Eric checks the settings and yes, telecommunications have indeed been shut off.) He’d changed out of his uniform the minute after he’d stomped in there. Now he’s just a stormcloud in black jeans and a faded hoodie.

Three out of six isn’t bad Eric reckons. But that just leaves one wayward, hormone-riddled teen unaccounted for.

Eric goes searching for Robert Sugden.

:::::

He’s got a bottle of whiskey in hand as he walks down the B&B hallway. There’s a smug smile on his face and a swagger in his step that’s visible even from the not-so-great camera angles. He stops in front of a door and enters with knocking. ( _Honestly_ , Eric thinks. _Kids these days_.)

Aaron looks up immediately, a frown on his face.

“What are you doing here?” He questions, every defence shooting up. Eric wouldn’t be surprised if they ended this encounter in fisticuffs.

“Thought we could have some fun together,” Robert says, gesturing at the bottle in his hand. He kicks the bedroom door shut behind him. “Seeing as we’re roommates and all…”

“Roommates?” Aaron asks, brow furrowing deeper. “Thought I was staying with Finn.”

That’s what Eric had arranged officially for the school records; Pete and Robert, Priya and Tracy, Finn and Aaron.

“Yeah, but I thought you’d prefer this more,” Robert steps closer to the bed. Aaron doesn’t move a muscle.

“Why? Because he’s gay?” Aaron spits at him. “Newsflash, ya idiot. I’m gay as well.”

Eric’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise. He suspected this, but he hadn’t expected Aaron to be quite so forward with his sexuality like this.

“Oh I know,” Robert tells him, without missing a beat. He sits on the side of the bed, one jeans-clad knee folded up, one leg dangling off. The bottle of whiskey now tucked up right beside him. “I’ve seen the way you look at me.”

Eric checks, just to be sure. Nope, the pheromone inducers in this room are still set to neutral.

“Don’t flatter yourself,” Aaron fires back gruffly. It would work if the blush staining his cheeks wasn’t evident even on the black and white cameras. And if he wasn’t leaning forward ever so slightly. “Do I look like I’d be interested in you?”

Robert’s face is teasing with mock disappointment.

“That’s a shame,” he purrs, shifting and pushing himself onto his knees. He steadily inches forward, leaning into Aaron’s space. “I’ve definitely been checking you out.”

He hovers right over Aaron’s lips, a smile dancing on his. Aaron’s eyes flick downward and them back up to meet Robert’s gaze. Robert takes that a sign to keep on going.

He presses his lips against Aaron’s lightly, Aaron not moving at all. And then just like that, all the dams burst; Aaron pushing back into Robert, one hand coming up to cup around his head, fingers buried deep in thick blonde hair so he can hold him in place, the other gripping Robert’s shoulder through his thin white t-shirt so he can steady him.

Robert gives himself into it, only stumbling lightly, but he steadies his position on the quilted surface.

Eric sits there in completely stunned silence as he watches two teen boys do what comes most naturally.

No one had told him that Robert was bisexual.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is one of my favourite movies ever (I love horror) and I'd made a moodboard for my buddy Jonathan's birthday and as I was doing it I got stuck with this idea of a scene in my head so I wrote it down as a present. I obviously do want to flesh this out into a full fic. This was just a slapdash thing I wrote in a hurry. But do give me any feedback you have for this. 
> 
> Thanks!


	3. Brooklyn Nine-Nine Crossover AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robert and Aaron help the squad of the 99 catch a car thief.

It starts when a postcard shows up at the station. The image on the back is of hills and the word, “Yorkshire.” 

As it turns out, it’s from none other than Doug Judy, because the Pontiac Bandit has gone international. In it, he outlines how a bunch of stolen cars have been making their way to the U.S., there’s some kind of transatlantic car thief who’s trying to hone in on his territory, and, yeah, he’s feeling a little jealous. _He’s_ supposed to be Jake’s only car thieving criminal buddy. (The rest of it details his many, many feelings for Rosa. But ends with a note about how happy he is for her and Alicia. Because Doug Judy is just that kind of guy.) 

Of course, this gets Jake dreaming of his possibly collaborating with the CIA, even outlining his very specific undercover persona (“Grant Mustang. A wealthy businessman with a taste for high stake poker games — and an even bigger need for speed”), but Holt has to veto it, because, you know, Jake’s general lack of jurisdiction. But he _does_ have some good news instead. Two of the people involved with the case are actually in town. And they’re waiting in his office. 

As it turns out, Robert and Aaron are technically the current trustees of the three stolen cars that have surfaced in New York. Because by some crazy twist of fate involving a lot of overly complicated paperwork, Lawrence wound up leaving all his cars to Seb. There’s also the fact that some of the illegal activity that landed the cars here may have taken place in Cain’s garage. So now it’s a matter of pride and family honour as well. (Cain would have come himself, but Isaac’s just learned how to walk, so _someone_ needs to protect the village from his tiny, but actually very painful little punches.) 

For once, Robert and Aaron answer all of a police detective’s questions honestly, telling Jake and Rosa everything they possibly know. Part of this has to do with both their general histories with law enforcement and the fact that they’re both actually innocent. But a slightly larger part of this involves the fact that Robert has bought tickets to go see an Off-Broadway production of _Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf?_ that was best described as “wildly avant-garde,” and he does not want to miss a second. (Aaron was plied with the promise of bottomless beers and the fact that live theatre turns Robert on.) 

But like all of Robert’s best-laid plans, this too gets waylaid when he smugly points out that there are other ways to hunt down missing cars that don’t involve a manufacturer’s tracker. When Holt asks how he knows, he just tells them that a few years ago his car had gotten stolen, but that he’d managed to retrieve it with _a lot_ of success. Beside him, Aaron starts coughing and turns a nice shade of pink. Rosa gives him a tiny understanding smile and a nod. 

Inspired, Jake pitches that he go undercover again, maybe they can lure the seller out (”Please sir, Grant Mustang’s gotta ride!”). But Holt nixes that idea as well. This time it’s because word of Jake’s friendship with Doug Judy has kind of gotten out. So has Doug’s thing for Rosa. They need some fresh faces. Preferably ones that haven’t really been seen in the area, but also know everything there is to know about cars… 

Which is how _Robert Sugden_ winds up playing Grant Mustang —complete with what he says is a “character defining” floral shirt and bright red pants —and grinning at Aaron (AKA his “associate and former drag race driver, as well as sometimes lover Dean Aston Martin”) over beers at a bar in Downtown Brooklyn. It also helps, as Robert had proudly outlined to Holt, Rosa, and Jake, that he actually _is_ a moderately wealthy businessman and so really, that part won’t involve too much acting. Also, he and Aaron both used to be mechanics, so they do know a thing or two about cars and could bluff their way through if they have to. 

(At this point Aaron knows there’s no dissuading his lunatic of a husband who’d started picturing both of them in these starring roles the second Jake mentioned the word “undercover,” so he just goes along with it to keep them safe and out of trouble, not wearing anything beyond his black hoodie and jeans because he’s never been keen on dressing up. He is very happy to help Robert practice the “sometimes lover” part of their partially undercover mission, which is how he winds up with Robert’s hand stroking his thigh under the table as he tells him, “It’s so good to see you again, _Dean_.”) 

It’s in the middle of this roleplay-fueled flirty banter (which Holt doesn’t get, but Jake totally admires because it’s like totally out of a movie) that they’re interrupted by the seller, who tells them to meet him out back. Robert is completely disgruntled by the interruption — how dare someone interrupt him in the middle of his seducing Aaron — but he rallies himself back into character and they follow. (He _is_ secretly pleased to see that Aaron’s a bit rumpled by this as well.)

Once outside and faced with two stolen cars, both Aaron and Robert easily keep their cool, having been in similar type situations enough times now. They verbally confirm, loud and clear, that the cars they’re seeing are stolen. Jake, Rosa, and the rest of the tactical unit storm the place swooping in and arresting everyone. But when Holt turns to look and congratulate Robert and Aaron, he sees that they’re both already halfway back to the bar, having cited something about Grant and Dean’s “unfinished business.” 

They do eventually meet the rest of the squad for drinks the following day, their last one in the country. There, Holt thanks them for their service, saying that the city of New York thanks them for their service. That’s followed by Terry wishing them luck for their upcoming wedding, while Charles just keeps shouting about how in love with their love he is. He also asks if they wash each other’s hair, something about it being the most sensual thing you can do to your lover. Aaron answers with a firm, “No.” Robert stores that nugget for later. 

The rest of the night is spent with Jake and Robert first proudly reliving every moment of the bust — especially a bit of improvisation on Jake’s part — followed by a lot of drunk arguing about who is better Carly Rae Jepsen or Katy Perry, which is really just an excuse to blare all their favourite songs really loudly. Meanwhile, Aaron and Rosa sit quietly drinking and glaring at anyone who tries to sit next to them and interrupt. Beside them is Amy, who’s now excitedly poring over Aaron’s wedding binder, (because he brought it along just in case) and she’s making notes all over it for where he can do better. 

Gina’s home packing for her inevitable move to Emmerdale village, where she’s excited to get a chance to add to the drama, while introducing the villagers to the ultimate joy that is her dancing. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, I had a blast imagining this a couple of months ago when an Anon asked about it, because it's a combination of two of my favourite things: Robron and _Brooklyn Nine-Nine_. There are so many wonderful points of connection between both shows and the character bonding is super rich.
> 
> Let me know if you have any thoughts, comments, questions or concerns over on Tumblr under rustandruin.


	4. Snooker AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aaron has trouble focusing on winning.

He knows this is the last place he should be thinking about it. That he should have his eye on the prize and that his focus should be on sinking those last couple of shots; the set up on the table getting dicier by the minute. The finals of the World Snooker Championship are almost his to lose at this point. Because even Robert Sugden seems to be distracted.

_Good_ , Aaron thinks. _At least this evens the playing field._

But standing there, cue in hand and watching Robert lean down over the table to direct his next move, Aaron knows it couldn’t be further from the truth: Nothing between them has ever been even.

The first time had been an accident — a dumb, _foolish_ accident. The result of a half-drunken hook-up at a bar, turned into a one night stand back at his place. Robert and Aaron had both been looking to celebrate. Both of them having made it into the quarter-finals that night. Robert the already established son of a world-class player, Aaron the openly gay, promising young upstart with no formal training. And apparently, not a lick of a clue who the cocky blonde shooting his mouth off on the other side of the bar was, just that he wanted his tongue down his throat as soon as possible.

He’d discovered the truth the next morning while scrolling on his phone. A photo of the man he’d shagged thoroughly right there on the screen in HD quality; blonde styled hair, too-knowing blue eyes, and a smile that almost promised victory. _That_ had woken him up more than the coffee he’d been brewing. That is the first rule of any competition: don’t be dumb enough to sleep with the competitor.

What made it worse was that Robert had walked up to him without a care in the world — or maybe it was the fact that he was still naked when he did it. (Even in this state of undress, he’d taken the extra few minutes to do his hair up, the flat hair Aaron had glimpsed when he’d woken up now replaced with a spiky coiff.)

“They say anything good about me in there?” Robert had asked, already making himself at home in Aaron’s kitchen. He’d found himself a mug and poured himself some coffee. “Pretty sure I gave a quote to someone from the Herald.”

“No,” Aaron had fumed at the presumptiveness of it all, at Robert drinking from his favourite mug so easily. “Too busy readin’ about _myself_.”

Any hope that that would shock Robert into a realisation had dissipated when he’d simply shrugged. “Oh right. You made it too. Dingle, right?”

“You can check that once you’re out of my flat,” Aaron had levelled, glaring up at him.

“Is that any way to treat a guest?” Robert had chided with a grin, still naked and sipping _his_ coffee. “Especially after what we did last night?”

“Last night was a mistake,” Aaron had insisted. The first of many lies he’d sold himself.

The second time was a quickie in a bathroom stall, minutes before either of them were due at their games. His attempts at pre-game trash talk somehow proving excellent foreplay, resulting in him dragging Robert into a bathroom stall with him. He’d tried to kiss the smugness off his face and then had done his best to suck him dry, before Robert had returned the favour by fucking him. It had been a good way to get rid of all that stress; a way to focus all his annoyance on Robert. In any case, he’d beaten David Metcalfe quite handily.

The third time was after their semi-final wins, Aaron having beaten Ross Barton in a down-to-the-wire clincher. They’d both found themselves in that same bar, in almost the exact same places. Only this time they’d been more than aware of the other’s location. By now Aaron had figured out that Robert was probably bisexual, having read enough of his exploits with a former socialite girlfriend, and then more recently, seen him kiss a woman on the front page of the Mail. (He hadn’t meant to really be reading the site, but his newsfeed had been nothing but clogged with Robert, many fans expecting him to follow in his dad’s footsteps and take home that title. Aaron wasn’t going to let that happen if he had any say in it.)

Still. There had been a sense of anticipation as time had ticked down, both of them waiting for the other to make a move. It was Robert who’d finally snapped, walking over to him and ordering them both drinks. Aaron would never admit it, but he does like his whiskey dry.

“Guess I’ll be seeing you in the final,” Robert had said, sipping his drink. He’d turned to Aaron and given him a slow and not subtle once-over. “Just like I’d hoped…”

“That’s good,” Aaron had said, swallowing his own drink and staring back. He’d have blushed under Robert’s eyes even if he wasn’t wearing a black dress shirt and slacks; part of the requirements for competing. “That you’re getting used to losing.”

“What makes you think I’ll lose?” Robert had asked, leaning closer. Aaron had felt his breath on his face, warm and moist and a bit ticklish.

“I’ve seen you play,” he’d finally replied, when he’d torn his gaze from Robert’s lips and back to his eyes. They’d been a darker shade of blue that he’d ever seen out of him. Behind his ribs, his heart had just thudded.

He’d left Robert’s place the next morning without even a note or a goodbye, somehow satisfied _and_ ashamed of himself. He’d been supposed to be focusing on beating Robert in the final. Not out here falling into bed with him repeatedly.

He’d thrown himself into training pretty heavily after that. Not wanting to waste his last few days before the end of the competition. It had felt good, and totally rejuvenating, his focus on the game finally returning after that. (If Robert had tried to contact him, he hadn’t actually known, going on lockdown from everything including most newspapers and social media.)

But then had come this morning, with an interview in the paper: Robert Sugden coming out as bisexual.

Aaron had stood there, gobsmacked and gaping at the newsagents on the corner, not quite sure what had brought this on. He’d found his answer in the middle of the page, when they’d asked him if there was anyone, in particular, he was interested in. He’d named him, “Aaron Dingle.” (To be exact, he’d said, “Wouldn’t mind taking Aaron Dingle for the drink. Maybe sometime after the final.”)

“This just another way to mess with my head?” He’d demanded when he’d seen Robert swaggering his way down the hallway of the theatre where the final was being held. He’d rushed up to him and almost shoved him up against the wall, not caring if any fans or officials saw them, or even if he hurt his back. “Askin’ me out in public so I can’t focus on beatin’ ya?”

He’d realised then that it was an admission of interest on his part to even ask that. But Robert hadn’t reacted. Just shaken his head.

_He smells good_ , Aaron’s traitor of a mind had noted. (But it was true, he did. He _always_ did.)

“I like you, you idiot,” Robert had answered, not at all bothered by their current positions. If anything, he’d seemed a bit turned on by it. “ _That’s_ why I asked you. Didn’t want you to think this was just about sex.”

He’d paused then, thinking about it, before grinning at him as shit-eating as ever. “Actually, it is a little about the sex.”

Despite himself, Aaron couldn’t help but match that desire. They’d blown each other blind in the men’s washroom after.

“So how about that drink?” Robert had asked as he’d gotten dressed again; black shirt, grey slacks, and grey vest. “You know, after all of this is over.”

“Let’s just see who wins first,” Aaron had replied, before exiting and letting the door just swing shut behind him.

He’d meant it then, and he means it now. Winning comes first, his love life second. He didn’t work so hard just to just throw it all away in the end. He didn’t work so hard _not_ to win.

And yet, all that’s been playing on his mind for the last half hour between shots, is a steady stream of _Robert_ ; Aaron finding himself watching him as much as he’s been watching the table, unconsciously planning all the things he’d like to do to _him_ as much as the balls on the table.

Part of that had been because he’s kind of in the lead; those extra points giving him the room to fantasise. This is the best game he’s probably ever played in both his career and his life, and he owes part of that _to_ Robert. (For all his faults and stories in the press, there’s been no denying that Robert Sugden actually is an excellent player, more than matching up to his father’s name, and in Aaron’s grudging opinion, even capable of surpassing him.)

He’s pushed Aaron to be better and looking back at his last couple of moves he had, going for the kind of angle and shot creativity few other competitors draw out of him.

And it doesn’t hurt that he’s got his bum thrust out as he balances one knee on the table, socked foot out of his shoe, doing his best to sink a complicated shot that could possibly put him in the lead.

_He’s got a nice bum_ , Aaron thinks not for the first time in recent days. He’s noticed it on and off, in and out of the bedroom. He shakes his head to clear it, but his eyes drift back to Robert’s thighs, the other man shifting his position on the table a bit for better accuracy. Aaron stands there clutching that same Snooker cue, his thumb rubbing against the edge of the tip; blue chalk dust staining his skin.

You wouldn’t know it just from looking at him and the way he dresses and stands, but Robert Sugden’s thighs are both solid pairs of tree trunks; nothing but pure muscle and bone wrapped in velvet as they’d tighten and quiver under his touch. Aaron shifts in place and bites his lip. He should really pay attention.

Robert starts slowly drawing the long stick backwards and forwards, fingers perched on the table as he readies himself to take his shot. Aaron’s eyes flit to Robert’s face where they get snagged, taking in the fullness of his expression. 

The intensity on display is a familiar sight, Aaron having seen it focused on him just over an hour or so ago, Robert’s hands gripping either side of his thighs, his mouth swallowing and sucking and bobbing. 

Aaron swallows and shakes his head. Tries to regain his focus. 

He barely has a second before Robert lets loose, the cue pushing forward and sliding through his left fingers, his right hand wrapped around its thickness, his wrist guiding the movement forward. 

The soft _crack_ as one ball hits another, the momentum sending two of them sliding into two separate pockets. But Aaron can barely hear it over his own shallow gasp, the sound giving way to the speeding heart rate in his ears; his pulse a dull pounding. Every muscle feels too wound up for this game they’re playing. 

He tries to look elsewhere, _anywhere_ , but he just ends back up at Robert’s bum, as he slowly climbs back off the table, sliding his foot back into his shoe casually. Robert seems to sense Aaron’s attention on him, because he pauses what he’s doing, stands up a little straighter and looks right at him. 

He flashes him a wink, before mouthing something at him. Then he turns entirely serious. He looks back at the table and turns his back to Aaron, surveying his next steps without distraction. 

Aaron doesn’t look at the scoreboard, he already knows he’s now a few points _behind_. He’s going to have to do a lot if he wants to catch up to Robert and make this Championship win a done deal. 

But all he can think of is Robert’s lips and the smirk he’d had on them; Robert having sunk _two_ shots in that moment. 

_You’re move, Dingle._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This little ficlet was a request from @irisnsc on tumblr forever ago, to accompany a manip she also requested of me. (She'd wanted Aaron admiring Robert as he took this shot. I kinda took those elements and ran with it. But I also just got around to it now, because I'm me. I do hope you like and enjoy it, though. I know it's not quite what you requested and I probably overshot the mark. Let me know and I will give it a redo. Also, I don't know anything about snooker beyond that one image. But I do play pool so I based stuff on that. 
> 
> My main aim here was a short burst of a scene that puts Aaron's feelings and Robert's actions into context. I hope I do both of them justice. 
> 
> Come chat with me over tumblr if you'd like. Or just drop a thought, comment, question, or concern down below and I will appreciate you greatly.


	5. "I'm too sober for this." [Drabble #1]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robert and Aaron at Jimmy's second stag do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DRABBLE PROMPT #1: "I'm too sober for this." 
> 
> [Part of the Drabble Prompt Challenge. For @mr-smugden]

“I’m too sober for this,” he whispers into his husband’s ears, earning himself a wry, amused chuckle.

“Yeah, well you’re the one who agreed to be Jimmy’s best man,” Aaron points out, nodding over at the once-again-groom across the table from them as he downs the last of only his second drink, already drunk enough to be cut off. Jimmy slams his empty pint glass down in front of him, the clattering temporarily silencing the small band of men seated in a table at the centre of the pub.

“I thought he was joking about the vow renewal,” Robert complains under his breath, when conversation resumes again — Rodney kicking it off with a joke to Liam, the doctor looking increasingly uncomfortable. He swirls the whiskey in front of him, watches the amber liquid shift. “Jimmy King says a lot of things. Especially when he’s hungry.”

His words are drowned out by the man of the hour loudly declaring, “I should probably give Nico a shout… You know, tell her that I love her…”

Robert watches Jimmy drunkenly search for his phone, patting every pocket up and down the length of him. He’s grateful he’d had the foresight to pry it off of him earlier, having promised Nicola he’d keep them apart, just for this one night. (She’d said a lot about it making their second wedding night a whole lot sexier on the phone. Robert is still trying to block the image of all that out.)

“Reminds me of you,” Aaron murmurs a few seconds after Jimmy’s given up and been lured away by one of Marlon’s steak and kidney pies. “Last week when I was stuck in Manchester.”

He’s clearly teasing but Robert can hear the warm buzz of affection in his voice, the one that means that Aaron secretly loves and means it.

Robert makes a face, but nudges his knee against Aaron, both of them sat close on their wooden chairs, their thighs pressed close together; the denim of both their jeans almost non-existent.

He looks over at Aaron from the corner of his eye, at the way his close-cut hair easily fades into an even closely-shaved beard, neatly-trimmed hairs hugging the length of the jaw he’d found resting on his forehead when he’d woken up, having snuggled his way into Aaron’s side in his sleep.

Aaron senses his gaze and turns to meet it. Robert smiles at his favourite shade of blue.

“Not my fault I miss you,” Robert admits, honestly. There was a time where he wouldn’t have admitted it as much. Now he says it as often as he can.

Aaron’s eyes soften, just like they always do. “Idiot.”

Robert leans forward and sneaks a kiss, a quick peck on Aaron’s lips. “An idiot you chose to marry.”

Aaron snorts and shakes his head. “You’re just lucky that I love you.”

Robert beams at that, even as a phone buzzes in his back pocket. He maintains eye contact with Aaron even as he shifts to fish it out. Not glancing down at the phone until the last second.

It takes him a moment to process what he’s seeing, his mind still too full of the twinkle in Aaron’s eyes and the promise of what’s to possibly come later.

His first thought is that there is a lot of skin on his screen. His second is that Aaron doesn’t have red hair. His third is the dawning realisation that this isn’t his phone, but a terrible byproduct of confiscating Jimmy’s.

“What’s the matter?” Aaron asks, clearly reading the horror on his face.

Robert’s cheeks are flaming as he reaches across the table and thrusts the phone at Jimmy, who recognised the photo for what it is and just smiles big and wide instantly.

“Last time I’m doing you _or_ Nicola a favour,” Robert says as he settles back against Aaron, already much too cold from that split second lack of him.

Beside him, his husband just laughs, not understanding the extent of what he was spared from, Robert fairly certain he’s earned both “Best Man” and “Husband of the Year” awards in one fell swoop.

He gulps down the rest of the whiskey and signals Matty for a top up.

“Definitely too sober for another.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm ridiculously proud of this drabble for two major reasons. First, it's the shortest thing I've ever written (something that I struggle with), and second, I wrote it and published it without much editing. (I'm actually not even too stressed about the quality right now, which feels nice; to have simply written just to write.) 
> 
> But yes, all I wanted to do in this short, short drabble is just let Robert and Aaron share a brief scene while still acknowledging their love for each other and their place in the village, as well as Jimmy and Nicola's romance. 
> 
> If you have any questions, thoughts, comments, or concerns. (Or even prompts.) Hit me up on tumblr as @rustandruin


	6. 13 Headcanons about Robert's Love for Doctor Who

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 13 Headcanons of Robert's Love for _Doctor Who_

**13 HEADCANONS OF ROBERT'S LOVE FOR _DOCTOR WHO_**

  1. Sarah definitely introduced all her kids to _Doctor Who_ the first chance she got. Robert is the only one it truly stuck with because our guy has taste. Vic would watch it with them too, but she wasn’t as interested or invested. She mostly fell asleep on Sarah’s lap.  

  2. Robert was scared of the Cybermen when he first saw them. Andy made fun of him but Sarah told him it would be fine because the Doctor always shows up and saves the day in the end. (This is something he’ll later use to calm Seb when he introduces him to Doctor Who and the little boy gets scared.)  

  3. Robert definitely cemented his ridiculous scarf-wearing skills with all those times he’d pretend to dress up as Four. It was an inside joke between him and Sarah. (Six is why he has a bit of an experimental fashion sense.)  

  4. After Sarah’s death, Robert used to rewatch some old VHSes Sarah had bought him with Vic. She didn’t get it this time either, but it helped them feel closer to their mother.  

  5. He actually missed the news about there being a reboot in 2005. But one day he came home and was channel surfing when he saw a familiar blue police phone box on his screen. He looked it up and realised it was _Doctor Who_. He got all misty-eyed and thought of Sarah, but he’s been hooked on it ever since.  

  6. He’s watched every single Christmas special without fail (usually by himself). He didn’t dare tell Lawrence or Chrissie about this for fear of judgement, even though his then-fiancé knew about his other nerdier tastes (like _Star Wars_ and _Death Note_ ).  

  7. However, it slipped out of him in December 2014, when Aaron texted him to check up on him just as the special began, and they ended up texting back and forth through the entire thing. Aaron made fun of him and got things wrong on purpose, but he got sucked into it when he realised Santa was being played by Nick Frost, though he really couldn’t be bothered with the general timey-wimeyness of it. He did appreciate Robert’s nerdy enthusiasm though. (Both Chas and Diane were mildly surprised to come into the back room and find Aaron watching _Doctor Who_. Paddy got excited and tried to chat with him about it in the following days, but Aaron just shrugged and walked off. He did smile and think about Robert though.)  

  8. In 2015, Vic found him in the living room watching it. Robert reminded her of how they used to do this with their mother. He could see that Vic didn’t quite remember all of it, but her eyes lit up at hearing about this and she sat all squished next to him on the sofa like she used to when they were little. She asked him all the questions about River Song, already madly in love with her, and Robert enthusiastically explained everything about her and her romance with the Doctor. They both cried at the end when the Doctor said he’d spend that last night with River on Darillium. (Rob’s tears were a little more restrained, though Vic definitely knew he’d shed them.)  

  9. That same night, as he was going to bed, Aaron texted him and said that he actually watched it and thought it was alright. They texted back and forth a bit with Robert arguing that the romance was quite good, with Aaron not conceding on anything. They both thought of their previous Christmas, but neither one said anything, instead seeking solace in this thing that somehow felt comforting and familiar. (Aaron was running away from thoughts of Gordon, and teasing Robert and his insane nerdiness offered some respite, while for Robert he felt that little _ping_ of confirmation that said that this was indeed love. Because there was no one else he’d rather hear disparage one of his favourite shows.)  

  10. The next year Robert didn’t mind postponing watching the show until Boxing Day, because he had a fiancé and a soon-to-be sister-in-law to spend the day with instead. When the time finally came to watch it, he had Aaron by his side (still filled with snarky asides, but now with a better understanding of the show) as well as Liv, who came armed with her own criticisms of the _Superman_ -esque proceedings and how it treated its female lead. Robert agreed with everything she said, though later he and Aaron would play their own game of “Superman meets the Doctor.” It’s fair to say they both had a very good Christmas.  

  11. Robert watched the 2017 special all alone by himself in his hospital room, and it was a cold comfort. Watching the Doctor finally let go of himself and his former companions felt like a parallel to his own life in terms of Aaron and not for the first time in his life he felt like maybe he understood what it meant to be a constantly travelling centuries-old Time Lord; never quite able to settle, always regenerating and growing anew. He thought that maybe the year ahead would be his regeneration — this time into Aaron’s best friend. It hurt, but it felt like a step in the right direction.  

  12. Even in the midst of all this, he smiled when he saw Thirteen emerge from Twelve’s regenerative glow and his eyes teared up as she gazed around the TARDIS in wonder… before she found herself falling out in a free fall towards Earth. (He actually quite related to that bit too, because that’s how he’d been ever since him and Aaron broke up, only now he’s finally fallen to the ground and it _hurts_.) Still, it was amazing to see a woman play the Doctor and he fell asleep thinking of Sarah that night and how much she would have loved it and how much he wanted her here with him. Because sometimes you need your mother’s hug after a heartbreak. And Robert just had the biggest one of his life.  

  13. Robert sat down to watch Thirteen’s premiere on his honeymoon with his husband by his side, only this time Aaron’s jokes faded a few minutes in as he got sucked in too. They skyped Liv and Seb after and she said they’d both enjoyed it and Robert had a big fat grin on his face. That night he fell asleep thinking that this series was going to be the best one yet. (It was. He spent each week excitedly discussing episodes with Liv _and_ Vic, Aaron always sat beside him, throwing in the occasional comment. Liv might go as the Doctor for Halloween in 2019. Robert’s finally starting to feel like he made Sarah proud.)



**BONUS:** It was weird for Robert to be attracted to Captain Jack Harkness given that he shares his father’s name, but something in him still got excited whenever he saw him flirt with the Doctor and later with Ianto _and_ Gwen on _Torchwood_ , because he felt like he was being seen — even if he didn’t really fully acknowledge why that was, still considering himself as straight ™. The word “omnisexual” continued to rattle around in his brain, snagging on a nail like a piece of fabric. Every time he googled it, it led to the word bisexual, but he never really clicked on that link, clicking back several pages instead, his heart pounding. (Robert’s grey coat is definitely a nod to his favourite companion and he feels like he’s cosplaying it every time he wears it. He told Aaron this once, but he never laughed, only suggested they take it into the bedroom. It was one of Robert’s best birthdays ever.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by a post on Tumblr that noted that Sarah Sugden Sr. loved _Doctor Who_. I couldn't stop thinking about how much Robert would probably wish Sarah were around with him to watch Thirteen go on her adventures, and from there it kind of spiralled out into this longer exploration/timeline of Robert's affection for the show and how it was shaped by sharing it with his mother. Hence the general timeline. 
> 
> One of the reasons I'm posting this here is because Tumblr's been a bit of hell to search recently and I'd like stuff like this to be in a place where I can find stuff handily when I do research for my own stuff. 
> 
> If I've gotten any of the canonical dates and stuff wrong, do let me know. There is so much of this show and so little of me. I wasn't able to verify everything. (Though I'm quite confident on the _Doctor Who_ stuff.) 
> 
> If you have any thoughts, comments, questions, or concerns please hit me up on tumblr, where you can find me under @rustandruin.


End file.
